KMYB | Chapter 39

Xi Shui was still completely in the dark.

He was busy winning glory for Jingwu.

If he had known.

He would have wanted to earn that glory back first before talking about anything else.

Carnival was an event jointly held by one school and one college. Since it was packed with beauties and handsome guys, it drew plenty of students from other colleges every year on the day of the event. The judges were all very professional professors from Jingwu and Jingyin.

Last year, Jingwu had made a fool of themselves, and the dean of Jingyin’s folk music department and Jingwu’s principal were smiling like old friends. “Old Li, your students are pretty good.”

Old Li’s face turned the color of the melon in Plants vs. Zombies.

Dance students were at a disadvantage when it came to improvising an opening number. Their movement styles were fixed, but Jingyin next door had hauled over a pile of instruments and could keep switching them out.

Today, Li Weiwei not only had a solo, she also had their class’s group waltz. On top of that, she had to open the performance under such enormous pressure. Her tears were practically spinning in her eyes, because she knew they were probably going to embarrass themselves again.

The seniors and juniors who performed the opening number last year had been roasted mercilessly by Jingwu, and even the students from Jingti and Jingxue were laughing at them.

Li Weiwei let her hair down and strode onto the stage with full momentum, but her steps still unconsciously carried that light, ballet-like toe touch. It did not quite match the music.

She turned back and looked nervously at Xi Shui.

No rehearsal at all, and no experience with any other dance style.

Xi Shui controlled his instinctive ballet movements, walked over to Li Weiwei, and lightly wrapped a hand around her waist. He moved upward along the side of her neck, and just as he was about to kiss her chin, he quickly pulled away. Li Weiwei reacted fast. The moment Xi Shui leaned in, she immediately lowered her head to respond, their gazes entwining together.

The screams from below nearly blew the roof off the main auditorium.

Lin Xiaojin was lying over the back of a chair. He clicked his tongue a couple of times and glanced at Zhou Zeqi beside him. He had not expected the guy to be such a good actor, because he could not see even a hint of displeasure.

Lin Xiaojin still looked at Xi Shui. His good buddy!

Those rainbow-praise posts on the forum about Xi Shui were not exaggerated. He was absolutely worthy of those titles.

Improvisation was already a brutal challenge for dance students, let alone for ballet, which was centered on elegance, poise, and romance.

But Xi Shui could carry Li Weiwei through it. Li Weiwei’s movements were a little softer, but the strength in their legs was beyond question. They had partnered up several times before in stage plays, so they had good chemistry too.

At the end, Jingyin brought out a cello. It was a common instrument in many ballet stage productions, but the rhythm was fast and fierce, and Li Weiwei could not keep up.

Xi Shui said softly, “You step back, I’ll take over.”

He used a ballet variation for the finale. For Xi Shui, the retiré jump was relatively simple, but the rhythm of the music was fast, and dance and rhythm should be inseparable parts of each other.

After connecting a wrong step into the beat he could not keep up with, Xi Shui launched into three consecutive grand jumps around half the stage. His shirt collar had come undone, and he was barefoot. When he landed, there was only the lightest sound. He stayed in the air for a long time, and even his run-up was only a very short distance.

Even in just a simple white shirt and black trousers, he could still dance with elegance and agility. At first it had been him chasing the beat. Now several instruments were working together to support his performance.

The drummer struck hard and fast, with metallic instruments layered over the cello.

A two-minute side leg turn, stacked with fifteen fouetté turns.

Xi Shui supported his whole body on one leg. Every time he whipped the leg out and pulled it back in, it looked full of force. There was a layer of sweat on his neck, and under the lights, it looked as if it had been glazed with a coat of white liquid.

When the final note fell, Xi Shui stopped too. He took a breath, saw that he had not drifted off course while spinning, steadied himself, then performed a very elegant finishing pose and walked toward backstage.

Down where the audience could not see, Xi Shui stepped down the stairs, stumbled to his knees, and dropped to the floor. “Ow, my legs are weak.”

The applause from the audience went on and on behind him.

Zhou Zeqi reacted faster than anyone else. He went over to catch Xi Shui and easily lifted him into a horizontal carry.

Lin Xiaojin frowned. “You spun too fast, and you were barefoot too. I stopped counting at fifty turns!”

The music usually used for ballet was not supposed to be this fast. It was meant to bring the audience into the beauty and grace of the dance. But today was more like a battle. It was beautiful, sure, but all sparks.

Xi Shui sat in a chair. He had not felt anything while dancing, but now the tips of his toes were slightly numb.

Zhou Zeqi knelt on one knee in front of him and massaged his toes. Xi Shui’s face turned red. “No need.”

Zhou Zeqi said nothing and did not look up at him.

Li Weiwei swallowed. Xi Shui’s spinning speed on stage had been “too terrifying. May I ask if you have any tips you can share with us rookie trash?”

What mattered was not just the number of turns, but the quality of each one. Blindly chasing turn count would affect posture, axis control… all of it.

But Xi Shui was different. It was as if he had been nailed in place. His feet barely moved, there was no bending at the waist, no tilting, no loss of power or beauty. Every turn was a perfect score.

Without years of foundation, there was no way to complete such a difficult challenge.

Xi Shui did not really have any secret technique. His technique was to practice more, reflect more, and analyze the performances of the seniors.

A student recorded the clip and posted it to the forum, tagging it as something to save in the essentials folder.

[How many turns?]

[My eyes are blurry so I can’t count, this is insane, Xiaoxi please do a livestream and teach us how to dance, sob sob sob sob sob sob my teacher said I land like a weight, I just want to know how he lands so lightly and stays in the air for so long!]

[The fouettés were 17 turns, the side leg turns were over 50.]

[Did Xiaoxi get powered by batteries or what / dog head.]

[And he turned so fast, so steady!!!]

[When his hem flew up it looked like a little skirt, sob sob sob sob sob sob so pretty, if this gets edited down it can go on overseas platforms, I’m really sick of those idiots saying our people aren’t suited for ballet!]

[Am I the only one who noticed Xiaoxi’s face was pale? Dancing barefoot must hurt like hell, and turning for that long, holding so tight, my heart is breaking.]

[But his expression was okay, he didn’t fall apart, and the movements of his hands were beautiful too. Xi Shui seems like he was born for ballet. Next year at the Varna Ballet Competition, he’ll definitely win gold.]

[So scaryyyyyyy! Last month the teacher showed us one of his solo variations from a performance, and the showboating was so insane I just wanted to kneel.]

[Damn it! I’m jealous of Zhou Yama again!]

[Damn it!]

[Damn it!]

…

With such a professional, showy opening, the programs that followed all seemed dull. Plain. Really plain.

But when Jingwu’s waltz started, their interest came right back.

For no other reason than they wanted to watch the little couple dance.

Zhou Zeqi was pretty wild. Usually, though not exactly slovenly, he had nothing in common with the vibe of a waltz. Not even remotely.

But when he put on a tailcoat and a burgundy bow tie, his sharp, angular face looked just like the wealthy young heir in a movie, proud and full of talent. His gaze stayed lovingly on Xi Shui the entire time. Even just looking at the photos made your heart race and your throat tighten.

[Why didn’t Jingwu announce the program list in advance? I want to see it live!!!]

[Xi Shui looks so tiny in his arms!!!!]

[Mommy’s Xiaoxi Mommy’s Xiaoxi (foaming at the mouth and collapsing)]

[Big sister’s baby Big sister’s baby (foaming at the mouth and collapsing)]

But Xi Shui was not as excited as they were.

The happiness of winning the opening for Jingwu had vanished without a trace too.

Because.

From the moment his opening performance ended until now, nearly two hours had passed, and Zhou Zeqi still had not said a single word to him.

Hadn’t they agreed not to be jealous?

If it wasn’t jealousy, then what was it?

Xi Shui could not make sense of it no matter how hard he thought.

So strange.

Really strange.

–

In the afternoon, Xi Shui was going with Zhou Zeqi to watch the swimming competition.

They did not take the elevator. They took the stairs instead.

The scorching sunlight was golden, and the stairwell was filled with that same brilliant gold.

Xi Shui reached out to hold Zhou Zeqi’s hand, but Zhou Zeqi dodged him. He froze for a moment, then quickened his pace and moved in front of Zhou Zeqi, two steps lower.

“What’s wrong?”

Zhou Zeqi looked down at him. His eyes were pitch black, without a trace of light, and somehow eerie enough to make your skin crawl.

Xi Shui’s accusatory momentum weakened by more than half under that stare. “You haven’t talked to me the whole time. Are you mad because I danced with Li Weiwei? I didn’t really touch her, I was very gentlemanly, this was just a performance…”

“You think I’m that bored, that I’d make a fuss over something like this?” Zhou Zeqi cut him off, his tone colder than Xi Shui had ever heard before.

“Th-then… then what happened to you? You have to tell me. If you tell me, then I’ll know. If you don’t tell me, I’ll be very upset too.” Xi Shui said softly, his eyes turning red with urgency.

“You,” Zhou Zeqi looked toward the window at the turn in the stairs and saw a small peach tree swaying back and forth in the wind, “what exactly made you decide to date me?”

Xi Shui froze.

Completely froze.

“Because I li…”

“Don’t lie.” Zhou Zeqi raised a hand and pinched the back of Xi Shui’s neck, yanking him toward himself. He bent slightly, his gaze like a sharp blade piercing straight through Xi Shui’s eyes. “You lied to me, didn’t you?”

His palm was scorching hot, hot enough to make the skin at the back of Xi Shui’s neck ache.

Sunlight fell across Xi Shui’s back, and he worked up a full sweat.

“You wanted to lose weight that badly? Wanted to get skinny that badly?” Zhou Zeqi let out a laugh. His movements were stiff and mechanical, his eyelids not even twitching once. “So to achieve your goal, you used yourself, and you used me too?”

Xi Shui blinked. “You already know? How do you know?”

“That’s the point?”

Xi Shui hurriedly said, “No, no, that’s not it.”

His heartbeat was so fast it hurt in his chest. It hurt so much.

“I’m sorry, I’m telling you I’m sorry, but I only looked for you because I wanted to kiss you. Later Lin Xiaojin said that meant I liked you, but I didn’t know that! And now I really, really like you too.”

“I could date and lose weight at the same time. That was already a two-birds-with-one-stone thing.”

“Recently I also realized, actually it’s because you love me, I love you, and I’m very happy, so I don’t randomly eat things anymore, which is why I lost weight.”

“Zhou Zeqi, I really like you.”

“Are you going to break up with me now?”

He looked at Zhou Zeqi pitifully, tears already turning in his eyes, held in place by long anticipation, ready to spill out at any moment.

Last time, Xi Shui had asked this same question too.

Zhou Zeqi let go. He undid the button at his collar. That stifling feeling had already dissipated. Leaning against the handrail, he said, “What if I am?”

“How can you break up with me!” Xi Shui’s eyes turned even redder, and tears slid down his cheeks. “You kissed me, you hugged me, we’re still going to sleep together, you said you liked me, I also said I like you, we’re supposed to stay together forever!”

“If you want to break up with me, then your character is bad!”

He was practically bristling with anger as he shouted at Zhou Zeqi, tears falling one by one.

Those tears were so bright, so round and glossy, even crying made him look stunning as hell.

“Mm, my character is bad, and then?”

Xi Shui looked helplessly at Zhou Zeqi. He did not know how to keep someone from leaving. He had no experience in this at all. He could only look at Zhou Zeqi and hope the other man would be someone who meant what he said.

“You… doing this is… i-is not right.”

“I’ll be very h-hurt.”

He raised a hand and wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve. “But if you insist on breaking up, then I can’t do anything about it.”

After choking out those words, he turned to go downstairs.

Zhou Zeqi pulled him back in one motion, reversing their positions. Xi Shui was pressed against the handrail.

“Get this straight, you lied first,” Zhou Zeqi said, cupping Xi Shui’s face. “I’m in the wrong, so that makes you right? Xi Shui, you really have no conscience.” Zhou Zeqi poked Xi Shui in the chest.

“But I already corrected it. I already fell for you, and you like me too. If you leave me behind, then that means you have no sense of responsibility,” Xi Shui argued stubbornly.

“…”

Seeing Zhou Zeqi go silent again, Xi Shui summoned all his courage and leaned in to kiss Zhou Zeqi on the lips. “I’m sorry. I won’t lie to you again after this.”

Zhou Zeqi gave an “mm” and took the opening to step down smoothly. He asked Xi Shui, “Why were there so many times in the middle with no record?”

Xi Shui was still feeling guilty. “There were too many kisses, and too many long ones. I couldn’t keep track.”

“…”

“Are you still mad now?” The tears in Xi Shui’s eyes had not faded yet, and he looked completely different from the murderous little swan he had been on stage.

“At first I wasn’t really angry. I was just surprised.”

“Surprised that you’d have such a weird idea.”

“It’s not weird,” Xi Shui defended himself. “There’s scientific basis for it!”

“Mm, then I’ll kiss you more in the future.”

Xi Shui shook his head, very serious. “No need. I’m very satisfied with how I am now.”

After saying that, before Zhou Zeqi could speak, he tugged at the hem of Zhou Zeqi’s clothes. “Let’s hurry to the swimming pool. If you don’t get first place, then you won’t get to sleep with me.”

–

Xi Shui’s opening performance had gone viral on the forum, and on Weibo too, and on every other social platform.

[This is professional, right? At this rate, he could at least make it to lead dancer later on.]

[Lead dancer already reserved, maybe tomorrow a ballet academy student will call him, inviting him to enroll, or a troupe director and manager. That kind of talent is rare.]

[With this level, he’ll definitely go abroad in the end, kind of a pity.]

[Replying to the above, several famous overseas dance companies sent invitation emails when Xi Shui was in junior high and high school, but Xi Shui turned them all down.]

[An outsider can’t even tell what’s going on, I just think he’s insanely good.]

[Although the steps are kind of messy, the rhythm is actually messy too, but all his movements are on the beat. If you ask me, what are these damn things the students are playing? If you can’t play, then don’t play.]

[Xi Shui, his family is famous in the ballet world, so it’s not surprising that he’s this outstanding.]

[I think he worked so hard. At this level, who knows how much effort he put in normally.]

The swimming pool competition had also begun, and the Jingti swimming team and several other sports school teams were all present.

“Where’s Old Zhou?” the captain from the neighboring Jingti University said while putting on his swim cap and looking around the whole venue. “He’s not up to some evil scheme again, is he?”

“Up to your ass,” Wu Fengyi said, slapping their captain Liu Wensi’s stomach with his cap. “He went to watch his boyfriend compete. He’ll be here soon.”

“Boyfriend? What boyfriend?”

“What do you mean, boyfriend?”

“Don’t tell me it’s that kind of boyfriend, the dating kind?”

“It’s exactly the dating kind of boyfriend.”

“Old Zhou is dating?” Catching the keyword, the swimmers from the neighboring school swarmed over. “Who is it, who is it? How come we don’t know? Old Zhou didn’t even introduce him to us, that’s so damn distant.”

The swimming team from Jingcheng Sports Academy also rushed over. “What do you mean, what do you mean?”

“Old Zhou is dating!”

Wu Fengyi leaned back in his chair, goggles covering his eyes. “It’s the 50-meter freestyle for Group A now. In a minute, you’ll see Old Zhou’s boyfriend.”

Zhou Zeqi came in through the back door, with Xi Shui following behind him.

The two of them still were not completely made up.

They barely spoke on the way over. Xi Shui had been shouting with full force in the stairwell of the auditorium, but he also knew he had been the one to lie first. He was in the wrong, so the little swan had turned into a little quail, following closely behind Zhou Zeqi.

Zhou Zeqi was taking off his shirt as he walked.

Xi Shui hurried forward with a flattering smile. “I’ll hold it for you.”

Zhou Zeqi shoved the shirt into his hands. “For now, leave it at that. I’ll deal with you tonight.”

Xi Shui’s face fell at once.

He was very wronged too. He did not know how to coax people, but Zhou Zeqi just had to be coaxed before he would stop being angry. Still, compared to his expression at the beginning, this was much better. Now he was just awkward.

He was having an awkward standoff with Qiqi.

In a blind spot, Zhou Zeqi simply stripped off his pants. Underneath was his swimwear. He had clearly been prepared for this already.

Xi Shui, shocked, hugged Zhou Zeqi’s clothes and followed him into the venue.

The arena was as lively as the main auditorium, even livelier, because it concerned the honor of the school. Jingti had brought many people, and the stands were packed, with the aisles jammed full too.

The first event was the 50-meter freestyle, which happened to be Zhou Zeqi’s event.

Above the swimming pool was a semicircular domed ceiling. Blinding sunlight passed through the huge glass and fell onto the sparkling pool. The judges and coaches each stood with their arms folded, looking sternly at Zhou Zeqi entering from the back door.

Zhou Zeqi took the swim cap and goggles tossed over by Wu Fengyi and put them on while saying to him, “Find a seat for Xi Shui.”

Wu Fengyi patted the seat beside himself. “Why go looking? Isn’t there one right here?”

Xi Shui carefully glanced at Zhou Zeqi.

Zhou Zeqi’s eyes, hidden behind dark lenses, shot him a sharp look. “Sit.”

Xi Shui sat down beside Wu Fengyi, hugging the clothes, and Zhou Zeqi turned and left.

He had a narrow waist, long legs, a tall frame, and broad shoulders. The lines of muscle on his torso and abdomen were as beautiful as a sculpture in an art museum. There was not a speck of unnecessary flesh on him, and his skin was one shade lighter than wheat-toned. When he warmed up on the starting block, a lot of the boys in the stands wolf-whistled.

Xi Shui twisted his neck to look back once, frowning so hard he could not have looked more unhappy.

Wu Fengyi rarely saw him make such a vexed expression and found it amusing. “What’s wrong? You and Old Zhou had a fight?”

Something was a little off.

From the moment they came in, Old Zhou had been in front while Xi Shui stayed behind. The two of them had not even walked in holding hands, which was strange, and when they had just left, Zhou Zeqi had gone without the slightest mercy.

Xi Shui withdrew his gaze and shook his head. “I didn’t fight with him. He’s the one throwing a fit.”

Wu Fengyi: “?”

Wu Fengyi held back a laugh. “You’re sure it’s Old Zhou throwing a fit at you?”

When Xi Shui answered, his tone was still full of helplessness, as if Zhou Zeqi was the unreasonable one.

Wu Fengyi did not believe that for a second.

Couples who argued always thought they were the innocent party, while the other person was being dramatic.

Zhou Zeqi stood on the starting block.

If you said he was angry, that was not quite right. But if he just let it go like this, that also would not work.

He glanced toward Xi Shui’s direction, and Xi Shui immediately looked back at him expectantly.

“…”

Zhou Zeqi turned back around and did a few perfunctory warm-up movements. Then the referee blew the first whistle.

The second whistle.

Zhou Zeqi’s start was faster and more explosive than everyone else’s. Xi Shui was holding up his phone. He blinked, and Zhou Zeqi had already shot into the water.

By the time he surfaced again, he had already pulled several meters ahead of the others.

Xi Shui stared blankly as water splashed everywhere in the pool, seeming unable to resist Zhou Zeqi in the slightest. He was like a launched arrow.

“He’s amazing!” Xi Shui’s eyes were bright, full of admiration.

This was a field Xi Shui did not know much about and was not good at either.

To take first place, in his eyes, meant you were already someone very hardworking and very impressive.

Wu Fengyi braced his hands on his knees and nodded. “Old Zhou entering a competition like this is basically a dimensionality reduction strike against the others. Old Zhou’s got the makings of a national-level athlete, but his sister’s brain has a problem, for real, it really does. She can’t handle too much pressure. Someone in his family has to inherit the business, so during these university years, this might be the last time he gets to be this free.”

This was the first time Wu Fengyi had spoken in such a heavy tone.

“But it’s okay,” Wu Fengyi rubbed his knees. “After all, athletes have to retire in the end too. His whole family still has to rely on him for养老.”[[N]]

Xi Shui listened carefully to everything Wu Fengyi said, and his heart ached for Zhou Zeqi.

Not being able to do the thing you love was no less painful than not being able to stay with the person you love.

Zhou Zeqi was so pitiful, and he was still using him, still lying to him. He really was not human.

Wu Fengyi talked for a long time and his mouth was dry, but he did not hear any response from Xi Shui. He glanced to the side, only to see Xi Shui with reddened eyes. He blurted, “Oh, come on, it’s fine, no one can have everything go their way. Old Zhou is already pretty lucky.” Having Xi Shui as his boyfriend, and making all of Jingti jealous, wasn’t that enough to prove something?

Zhou Zeqi’s first place was all but guaranteed. As long as he got in the water, the other schools all followed the principle of “fight hard for second! Aim for third and secure fourth! Fifth is okay too!” So when they saw Zhou Zeqi reach the finish line, they did not feel anything at all.

Damn it, in their eyes, second place was the real first place!

Xi Shui hugged the clothes and cheered for Zhou Zeqi.

His voice was not that loud. Even if he shouted himself hoarse, that was all it would be. Mixed into the cheers from the audience in the stands around the pool, it vanished in an instant, but Zhou Zeqi, with his fingers hooked over the edge of the pool and water wiped from his face, still vaguely heard Xi Shui’s voice.

No idea what he was so happy about.

The argument was not even over yet, and he was going to be punished tonight anyway, but he was still this happy.

–

The sports school swimming league ended right on time at 8 p.m. Jingti won a total of five gold medals, eleven silver medals, and twenty bronze medals, leaving the other sports schools in the dust.

Zhou Zeqi had a towel draped over his shoulder. Several captains from the neighboring swimming teams rushed over and said, “Old Zhou, let’s have dinner together tonight, you pay.”

“Get lost.”

“A food street opened a big barbecue stall in the food court. The老板[[N]] is from the north and grills corn like a pro. Wanna go?”

“The grilled fish there is good too. My roommate goes every week.”

“Aren’t you dating someone? Bring your boyfriend too, and the rest of us will toast him!!!”

“How are you keeping your relationship so secretive? When have we ever dated this sneakily?”

Zhou Zeqi tugged the towel off his shoulder, wiped his still-dripping hair, and let out a mocking laugh. “You’ve dated before?”

A long time passed.

A group of people joined forces and shoved Zhou Zeqi into the pool.

The water surface showed no movement for a long while.

Seeing this, Xi Shui hurriedly put his clothes on the chair and ran toward Zhou Zeqi.

He stood out quite a bit.

At 180 cm, he was not short. He was a dance student, not some little chick either, but his aura was too distinctive, and his clothes were too neat. That white shirt had not a single wrinkle on it. Suddenly appearing among a bunch of sports students who had not yet changed clothes made him as conspicuous as could be.

But Xi Shui himself did not realize it.

He leaned over the pool edge and reached into the water to grab for him.

He did not grab Zhou Zeqi.

So Xi Shui turned around and looked at the group of them. “How could you do that?”

“…”

Xi Shui had heard people say that if someone got shoved in like that and cramped up or choked on water, even if they knew how to swim, an accident could still happen.

He was getting anxious when Zhou Zeqi suddenly surfaced right in front of him.

Zhou Zeqi swept his wet hair back and wiped away the water streaming down his face, then said to those people, “Weren’t you all saying you wanted to see my boyfriend?”

“This is my boyfriend, Xi Shui, a ballet dancer from Jingwu.”

Xi Shui knew Zhou Zeqi was teasing him again. He awkwardly pushed himself up from the floor, the front of his shirt dampened by a small patch of water from the poolside.

Zhou Zeqi climbed out too. He wrapped Xi Shui up in a towel and pulled him into his arms. “Go change. I’ll treat you all to dinner.” After saying that, he held Xi Shui and walked toward the changing room.

After getting his clothes, Zhou Zeqi let Xi Shui go, but the towel was still draped over Xi Shui’s shoulders.

Xi Shui walked beside Zhou Zeqi and said excitedly, “Congratulations on getting first place!”

Zhou Zeqi gave a hum.

Xi Shui racked his brain and continued, “You’re amazing!”

“…”

They awkwardly chatted all the way to the changing room. Zhou Zeqi went in first and did not close the door. Xi Shui stood outside. “I’ll wait here?”

Zhou Zeqi said nothing. He simply grabbed him and pulled him inside before closing the door.

There was a small hair dryer hanging on the wall. After plugging it in, Zhou Zeqi dried the damp patch of fabric on Xi Shui.

Summer clothes were thin, and it only took a few minutes to dry.

“You won first place, be happy.” Xi Shui patted Zhou Zeqi’s shoulder.

Zhou Zeqi glanced at Xi Shui. “What made you think I’m not happy? Being able to use this as leverage, I’m pretty happy.”

Otherwise he would always have to feel sorry for Xi Shui, accommodate Xi Shui, and be softhearted and helpless at every moment.

Xi Shui did not understand what Zhou Zeqi meant.

He lowered his head obediently and let Zhou Zeqi dry his clothes for him.

After a few seconds, he suddenly thought of something. “Do we still need to have dinner with them?”

Zhou Zeqi pressed the cloth flat with his palm. “Mm, neither of us really ate much today.”

Xi Shui thought about it and realized that was true. At noon, he had eaten boxed lunch with the class monitor and the others in the main auditorium, but he had barely touched it. He had been hungry for hours already, but he had been too busy being sulky with Zhou Zeqi to remember.

“They’re seeing you for the first time, so they might toast you. Will you drink?” Zhou Zeqi asked in a low voice.

Xi Shui thought for a moment. “If I don’t, won’t that be disrespectful to them?”

Zhou Zeqi: “…”

He really could not hold it in anymore. Zhou Zeqi laughed twice. “Who taught you that?”

“I hear people say it all the time.” Xi Shui was happy that Zhou Zeqi had finally laughed.

“But I don’t have a very good tolerance for alcohol. I haven’t really drunk much before.”

Zhou Zeqi straightened up, hung the hair dryer back in place, and wiped himself down casually with the towel a couple of times. “Just take a sip.”

So that was fine.

No problem.

“Then will you drink?” Xi Shui pressed Zhou Zeqi. “Is your tolerance good?”

“Pretty good,” Zhou Zeqi answered. “But I’m not drinking tonight.”

Xi Shui nodded very earnestly in agreement and analysis. “Of course you can’t drink. If you get drunk, how are we supposed to sleep together?”